Rom. 16:9. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ.
This praise is greater than the previous one; it is even the cause of it and contains it within itself: for whoever is a fellow worker is also beloved.
Rom. 16:9. Greet Stachys, my beloved.
And he crowns this one with the same.
Rom. 16:10. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ.
That is, blameless and irreproachable in all things, and some say that this is said in distinction from some other Apelles who was not deserving of approval.
Rom. 16:10. Greet the faithful of the household of Aristobulus.
These were probably not the same as the former ones, which is why he did not mention them by name.
Rom. 16:11. Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
That is, the faithful.
Rom. 16:12. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord.
About Mariam he said above (Rom. 16:6): "who labored much," but about these he says that they are still laboring. It is great praise to always be at work and laboring.
Rom. 16:12. Greet Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.
She is above the ones mentioned before her; because she not only labored much, but is also beloved. Thus he names each one according to their merit, encouraging some to greater zeal, and stirring others to emulation.
Rom. 16:13. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
A double good: both the son is blameless and the mother is irreproachable. For he would certainly not have said, "his mother and mine," if he did not attribute great virtue to this woman.
Rom. 16:14. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the other brothers with them.
Here do not look at the fact that he enumerates them without ascribing any praise to them, but at the fact that although they were far below everyone else, they nevertheless were deemed worthy of a greeting from the apostle. Or rather, he did ascribe praise to them as well, when he called them brethren.
Rom. 16:15. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
Great praise he ascribes to these persons as well: for he called them saints.
Rom. 16:16. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Lest he give occasion for quarrels by greeting some in one way and others in another, speaking of some with greater and of others with lesser praise, he makes all equal through the holy kiss, so that neither the higher might despise the lower, nor the lower envy the higher; for the holy kiss brings peace to all and makes all equal.
Rom. 16:16. All the churches of Christ greet you.
Not only did he himself unite them, but he also sends them greetings from all the churches, so that they might be united; for he speaks of all in general, and not of this one or that one. And he expressed greetings to so many persons in this epistle, which he did not do in any other, because he had not yet seen the Romans. Since many of his kinsmen had found refuge in Rome, he worthily mentions them by name, introducing them to the Romans by means of the epistle.
Rom. 16:17. I implore you, brethren, watch out for those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the teaching which you have learned.